


No guts, no glory

by icenaan (nilscellania)



Category: Wizard101 (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Developing Friendships, Gen, House Party, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Magic School, Mild Gore, Rivalry, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27715819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nilscellania/pseuds/icenaan
Summary: Iridian only wanted to be left alone, but unfortunately for them, that's not how parties work.
Relationships: Dechen & Iridian, Luka & Iridian
Kudos: 1





	No guts, no glory

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! So this story is a little different as it's a wiz rp a friend and I did with our ocs, but it's a little old b/c we've recently done some serious revamping with their characters. Nonetheless, hope y'all enjoy it still!
> 
> Also, here's the cast!:  
> -Dechen Lifeblood, Preben Wyrmcaller (mine)  
> -Iridian Greengrove (Izel)  
> -Luka Skyblade, Sunhammer (both)

"Are you _completely_ sure this looks good...?"

"Hundred percent," Dechen replies for the nth time now, adjusting the collar. Unlike the other clothes he had suggested before, where they look more like excuses to show off skin, the one he chose this time was reasonably conservative. It was a long robe that had an androgynous look to it, made of green velvet and outlined with silver stitching, and the little cape hung on the back swayed to Iridian's every move. While still too fancy for their liking, they have to give the elder some credit, this really does fit their tastes. But they can't help but wonder if it's alright for them to wear this, especially since these aren't their clothes but his.

Iridian looked themselves over in the mirror again, letting their hands run over the soft fabric of their outfit. Although their movements still had a lingering hesitance, they were starting to become more used to the robes the longer they were in it. Iridian took a deep breath, fingers fiddling with the velvet band wrapped around their waist, cinching the cloth to their body shape. It was either this or anything else Dechen had, which wasn't ideal for them, to say the least.

"Well... if you insist..." their eyes flicker up to their still-messy hair, embarrassedly trying to comb through it in some attempt to tidy it. This is going to be a party, after all, they'll need to look somewhat decent.

Picking up on the nervousness radiating from them, Dechen reaches out to pat their head in comfort (and also to brush down any stray hairs sticking out). "You'll be fine, Greeny," he assures; whether he was talking about their appearance or not, Iridian wasn't sure. "We got drinks and music, and all of our classmates will be here. Tonight's gonna be a lot of fun, so just relax."

His words calmed them slightly, a little bit of tension leaving their shoulders. Until it gathers once more when Iridian hears the sounds of the party beginning downstairs; people chatting, glasses clinking, all the usual things. They take one more deep breath, it's fine, you'll be fine. "Seems like everyone's already here. Might as well not waste any more time."

Dechen then grins. "Hell yeah, let's party!" he cheers, slapping his housemate's back in excitement. In contrast to them, he definitely went for a look meant to show himself off. He had on a loose, white shirt with billowy sleeves and a collar that dipped down his chest in a low V, while his pants were more tight-fitting and made of dark brown leather. A silky, green sash was tied around his waist, and he wore a pair of black boots that went up to his knees. To complete the look, he adorned himself with some emerald piercings and gold rings, both likely as expensive as the other.

Iridian kept close to Dechen as they made their way down the stairwell to where the party was. Even with all his assurances, they still don't feel completely comfortable in what they're wearing. To them, it's too bright and colorful, and bound to draw too much attention. The bickering voice in the back of their head reminded them of old rules: stay invisible, don't speak unless spoken to, don't show yourself explicitly unless ordered to. The behavior they're exhibiting now went against everything they've been taught. A part of Iridian feared this, wanted to run back upstairs and curl into a ball; abide by the rules, obedience is key.

Yet, another part of them... _liked_ this. It craved the disobedience, the rebellion. They don't know what's more surprising, the fact that this kind of side to them existed, or that it was slowly beginning to win them over. They want this, the attention, the respect. To be looked at instead of down upon, to finally be equal.

When the doors to the ballroom were thrown open, Iridian suddenly felt their head spin. Music blared and pounded against the walls, and the disco ball dangling above flickered in rainbow colors to the beat. The newly-waxed floors could barely be seen, the amount of people that showed up a testament to Dechen's popularity (geez, did he invite the whole school or something?). Dressed as colorfully and ostentatiously as they possibly can—some outfits were clearly just excuses for exposure—everyone was spilling their drinks all over themselves while dancing like nymphs in a frenzy.

"Oi, y'all be starting without us?" Dechen yells over the song (the DJ being Spritethief, a fellow theurgist). The sheer amount of noise was detestable to Iridian's sensitive hearing, causing their pointed ears to fold down against their head in instinct. This is the first time they've seen or been to such a party; the very few they _did_ go to, while more or less as crowded, were never _this_ loud. Is this what normal teens should like?

Guests across the dancefloor look to where Dechen stood in the illuminated doorway. They all whoop at his arrival, and raised their solo cups to him in cheerful greeting. However, the smiles on their faces quickly morph into confusion upon seeing his teal-haired companion, who stood so close to him, one would think they were trying to hide.

In spite of their quizzical stares—he didn't indicate as to whether or not he noticed—Dechen continued to swagger across the room, keeping a secured grip on Iridian's shoulder to make sure they don't get swept away. He greets any who pass by him like the gracious host he is, "Whisperwind, what's up? Oh, looking good there, Legendbreaker! Yo, Skullmask, another girlfriend? Treat her nicely this time!" Once he made it to the DJ booth, he gestures to Iridian to stand aside for a moment, before approaching Spritethief with a friendly high-five. As he was handed the mic, the music takes a pause so he can shout, "HEY, HOW WE ALL DOING TONIGHT!?"

A burst of cheers followed shortly in response, making the Mooshian chuckle (Iridian thought they could hear a faint, _"God, he's so fucking hot,"_ in the background). "Nice, nice. Now, before anything else, I gotta give a shoutout to my girl, Sabrina Greenstar," the girl in question lifts up her arm to signal her presence. "I mean, this really goes out to all the members, but if it weren't for Bri, Ravenwood wouldn't have won the tournament. So everyone, let's give it up for her and the dueling team!" with another thunderous cheer, all the attendees proceed to heartily down their drinks. "Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking! Now c'mon, WE ABOUT TO GET _CRUUUUUNKED_!!"

In the meanwhile, the younger theurgist made a painful wince at Dechen's final exclamation into the microphone. This wasn't pleasant at all, how can people even handle, much less _like_ this?

As the pumping bass picks up again, suddenly, they find themselves bombarded by strangers with a curious twinkle in their eyes. They introduced themselves and shooked their hand, asking for their name in return, oogling at them like they're onlookers in a zoo. Iridian has said, "Hi, I'm doing just fine, how about you?" so many times now, that if they received a gold coin for each instance, they probably would've earned a small fortune for themself.

After the main wave of guests dispersed, they absentmindedly broke away from the DJ booth Dechen was still standing by, their hands over their ears. They needed a minute, a small corner of peace without all the screaming and touching, just a moment alone. That's how Iridian ended up near the back of the ballroom, resting against a random pillar for a breather. Maybe this wasn't their thing after all, this whole party business. The night had barely begun, and they're already prepared to call it quits and sneak back upstairs where it's more quiet. They release a deep sigh, carding their fingers through their messy locks; how the hell are they going to get used to this?

"Hey, you're Greengrove, right? Lifeblood's Greengrove?"

At the call of their name, Iridian sighs again, presuming that another round of party-goers are here to gawk at Lifeblood's newest pet (they can't help their cynicism when it starts kicking in). Their head turns to face the newcomer, who's an older-looking boy with spiky, violet hair and matching-colored eyes that contrasted against his fair skin. Wearing an all-black leather outfit, he shifts from one foot to the other, his hand swirling his drink to and fro. Though he wasn't doing anything notable, as much as they hate to assume the worst about strangers, the vibes this guy is giving off makes them feel... unsure, to put it lightly. When they realize he's still waiting for their answer, judging by the impatient raise of his eyebrow, Iridian clears their throat before awkwardly responding, "Ah, yes, that's me... and you are...?"

"Skyblade, Luka Skyblade, journeyman diviner," he introduces himself, sticking a hand out for them to shake. "How come you're just hangin' here and not with Lifeblood?"

"Lifeblood is..." their eyes scan over to said person, now standing by the punch table and flirting with a gaggle of girls who look more than happy to see him. "...busy right now. I thought I'd get out of his way for the time being." The diviner's body language is clearly pointed; he wants something other than this conversation, Iridian can tell.

Skyblade follows the direction of their gaze, and makes a click of his tongue. "What, jealous he's got chicks all over him? Ah, but that's not what I'm here for—how can you stand an ass like that, though?—I've something to ask you, actually."

Iridian's eyes become more focused now, uncertain ruby meeting amethyst. "Which would be...?"

It's then that Skyblade moves to lean against their pillar, shifting close so they can hear him better (yet much to their uncomfortable chagrin). "I know you're just a newbie, but..." he began, "What d'you know about the school's dueling team?"

"I know that a classmate of mine won the latest tournament," they kept their gaze steady on Skyblade; if they disliked the fact that he was all up in their business, they certainly weren't showing it. Their voice gained a level tone to it, bordering on deadpan, and practiced posture that'd been temporarily dormant activated itself once again as Iridian continued speaking, "And is thus the reason for this party tonight. Why do you ask?"

Skyblade was like an open book, a glint of irritation flashing in his eyes for a brief moment, and they wonder if all diviners were this, ah, expressive. But quick like the wind, his expression turns into something more neutral, and he finally asks, "Well... d'you feel up for a little sparring sometime?"

Iridian cocks a brow at his proposition, head tilting slightly, leaning further into the pillar. "Sparring? Why would you want something like that? You have your teammates, don't you?"

He shrugs. "It's just for some fun. You'll soon take those mandatory defense lessons anyway, so might as well get a headstart, yeah? Plus..." Skyblade began to smile, except it wasn't playful or warm like Dechen's; no, his was more dark, more _predatory_. "Rumor has it that Lifeblood intends to keep his latest slut for good, so I just had to come and check 'em out for myself."

_Ah, so that's what he's on about. 'Least he knows how to get to the point._ Iridian considers his words carefully, their gaze steadied on him as they mulled over the benefits and consequences at lightning-speed. They come to a conclusion, a decision. "...what time and place?"

"Heh. You're a fast learner, I'll give you that," Skyblade's grin grew wider. "It'll be on the day after tomorrow. Should be plenty of time to practice."

"Sounds swell to me," Iridian obliges in a fairly calm tone, crossing one leg over the other. "I'm sure Lifeblood will be ecstatic, he's been trying to get me to duel for the past month or so."

"Oh, word of advice: don't go telling Lifeblood 'bout this." now _that_ left them surprised, but thankfully, their expression is still kept carefully collected, "...and why shouldn't I, exactly?"

"What? Not up for it if your 'boss' says no?" judging from the diviner's immature tone, it's clear that he's just trying to bait them. He doesn't bother to hold back his sneer as well, his dislike of them (an extension of his dislike for Dechen, they guess) becoming more and more apparent. "Or maybe you need him to hold your hand for the entire battle, is that it?"

Iridian breathes out a quiet scoff at Skyblade's obvious attempts to get a rise out of them. Though it was disconcerting that he doesn't want Dechen to know, it was a toll for Iridian to think about on their own later. "Alright, if you insist. I won't tell him."

"You better," violet eyes leave Iridian's form briefly, his attention caught by something else. "I'll leave you to it then, Greengrove. And your 'boss' is coming over now, by the way."

With a flippant wave of his hand, Skyblade stalks off and disappears into the crowd. As they watched him leave, letting go of a heavy sigh, there came a familiar voice, "Greeny, there you are!" at the same time.

Iridian glances up and finds Dechen pushing through multiple people to get to where they are; seems like he left that group of fawning girls in favor of looking for them. They can't help but be amused by his convenient timing, imagining a scenario where he arrived earlier to witness Skyblade's proposal. But they have quite a while to think more about him, or at least until the day after the next. Right now they have one Dechen Lifeblood to deal with, and they're certain that his presence will require all of their attention.

"Sorry, I sort of wandered off," Iridian says in greeting, "Still can't believe you live here, this place is just _huge_."

"Eh, it's not all that lonely, 'specially with the fairies that keep coming and going. And not to mention you now being here with me," Dechen winks at them playfully. "Anyway, what're you doing all the way back here? No wonder I couldn't find you."

"People were bombarding me up at the front, so I came here to avoid it," it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth, either. "And besides, you looked busy enough with those lovely ladies that I thought I'd just weigh you down."

"C'mon Greeny, what'd I say about being self-deprecating? You know my sights are _only_ on you," Dechen's teasings continue, booping the younger's nose for added effect. "Oh, but who were you talking to earlier?"

_Shit, so he_ did _see. Time to keep your promise._ "No one important, just someone from the dueling team who was curious about me. Must've found me extraordinarily dull, though, considering how he walked off after a couple minutes."

His raven head inclines, and makes a hum of understanding. _Oh, thank god he believes me._ "So just the dueling team being dicks as usual, then? Don't tell Bri I said that, though, she just can't handle the fact that the mount racing team's _way_ better. But ah, oh well..."

All of a sudden, when Dechen looks them over, Iridian could feel their breath get caught in their throat. Intent glitters within that teal color, so direct that it makes it impossible for anyone to turn away. His mood can be such a fickle thing at times, changing as easily as a breeze of spring ( _he always seems to be full of surprises, huh?_ ). "Y'know Greeny, if there's something bothering you, you can always tell me, right?"

Iridian couldn't stop the flicker of anxiety that ran through their body at the elder's tone; so _familiar_ even if it's coming from _his_ mouth.

_"You tell me, Orquídea, if they're trying to put their paws on you. I'll see to it that they know their place."_

_"Of course, Master Carlyle."_

"...of course, Lifeblood. We really were only talking," luckily, they managed to keep themselves collected. "I would've left the conversation first if he hadn't, actually, not like he was all that interesting himself. You'd expect more of a member of the dueling team, so suppose I know better now."

"Hmm..." Dechen continues humming, his stare still narrowed on them. Yet, it wasn't like he was mad or vexed that someone else touched his 'property'; no, somehow, there was a deeper meaning to his actions. What could it be, though?

And just like that, his expression quickly relaxes, replaced by something more easy and carefree. "If you say so, then. Just thought I'd give a heads-up, since people like to talk a lot." when he reaches out to ruffle Iridian's hair as usual, they could see a glimpse of... worry pooling within his eyes. It was really unlike anything they've ever received before until now ( _why is that, especially from someone so lighthearted?_ ).

While Dechen's concern confused them to no end, there was another feeling bubbling up inside them. Guilt? They don't know why they're feeling guilty; is it because they aren't telling the truth? Or that they wouldn't be able to tell him about the duel? Or maybe it's really the idea that they managed to get someone like Dechen Lifeblood, of all people, to worry over them.

Still, Iridian had to push those thoughts away. They can't be getting emotional right now. Right now, Iridian thought, gaze hardened on the crowd, now they have a duel to worry about.

**Author's Note:**

> Sidenote: if y'all can guess which in-game npcs I used, you get a cookie, lol.


End file.
